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August 23, 2010 | News, Parents, People, Photos, Student Life, Students, WKU | No Comments
Photos by Suzanne Van Arsdall, Academy Avatar
After months of applications, interviews, waiting, and planning, the Gatton Academy is proud to finally welcome our Class of 2012 to campus for Adventure Week and the start of an exciting two-year journey.
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August 23, 2010 | News, Parents, People, Student Life, Students | No Comments
by Krysta Waldrop, Academy Avatar
Emotions ran high on Sunday as parents helped their children move into Schneider Hall. For many families this was the first time they unloaded a car on a university campus–two years earlier than when the average student would leave for college.
Every parent handled the situation differently: some families encouraged their teens to socialize with other students in the common areas while others chose to spend most of their time together before departing.
Throughout the various meetings which took place during the day, parents asked a variety of questions, ranging from living arrangements to major traveling opportunities offered by the Gatton Academy.
Many parents were anxious about permitting their child to go into the care of strangers at such a young age and sad to see their teens leave. One parent stated, “I’m excited for my son, but it’s sad. I’ve been crying all week.”
Other parents, instead, had a lighthearted approach. “Well, I’m okay, and he’s certainly happy that I’m leaving now,” laughed a parent as she toted empty boxes back to her vehicle. Overall, they appeared to be reluctant to depart, but it was also apparent they were aware of, and passionate about, the countless opportunities that were now available to the new Academy juniors.
For some families, this wasn’t their first experience with the Gatton Academy; the Class of 2012 contains several students who are the siblings of former and current Gatton Academy students.
The Missik family, parents of Justine Missik (Boyle, ’11) and Lucas Missik (Boyle, ’12) were asked to compare their two experiences with letting their children attend the Academy. “It’s certainly easier this time; we aren’t as anxious,” noted their mother, Christine. “We know the people who work here and we know more about the program, so there’s less to worry about.”
The Class of 2012 has another student whose parents are familiar with the Gatton Academy, but not in the same fashion as the Missiks.
Dr. Claus Ernst and Dr. Uta Ziegler, two professors at Western Kentucky University, moved their son, Markus Ernst (Warren, ’12) into Florence Schneider Hall this year. The two WKU professors currently teach Computational Problem Solving and helped to originate the course during the program’s first year.
Ernst and Ziegler are very involved with the Gatton Academy and are often in contact with the Academy Director Tim Gott as well as other staff members. “This will be much less difficult for us than it will be for other parents who are here today,” said Dr. Ziegler. “We know a lot about the Academy, and we’ve worked closely with them for a long time.”
As the day came to a close, the remaining parents were required to leave. Despite their anxiety and reluctance to see their children living similarly to traditional college undergrad, they left feeling optimistic. Several parents noted that while it is hard to have a child leave the house, the Gatton Academy provides each student with an incredible experience filled with so many opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable to them.
August 23, 2010 | Academics, News, Parents, People, Staff, Student Life, Students | No Comments
The 2010-11 Student Life Handbook for Gatton Academy students is now available for download. Class of 2012 students received drafts of the document earlier this week. Please review the updated copy to ensure your understanding of revisions under academic expectations, attendance, graduation requirements, and student life policies. Many components of the Handbook also apply to the Class of 2011 as well.
Students and parents should pay particular attention to the new Class Attendance and Conduct Policy as well as the Classroom Intervention Program.
Any questions regarding academic policies should be directed to the Academy Academic Coordinator April Gaskey. All questions regarding student life should be directed to Beth Hawke, Coordinator for Residence Life.
August 23, 2010 | News, Parents, People, Student Life, Students | No Comments
by Sydney Combs, Academy Avatar
Early Sunday morning, a small army of Community Leaders stood–clad in bright green Gatton Academy attire–ready to swarm the first Class of 2012 student to arrive. When that lucky junior pulled into the parking lot at 8:15 in the morning, swarm the upperclassmen did.
Like kids to free candy, the Community Leaders flocked to each incoming junior and their family, transporting their belongings from the car to their room before they could even turn around. After a day of trucks and trunks filled with bins and duffel bags, all first-year students were moved in around two o’clock, ready to begin Adventure Week.
This first step into real life evoked mixed emotions from the students, parents, siblings, and staff members alike.
While Tucker Joyce (Mercer, ’12) moved into his room on the second floor, his grandfather and siblings sat patiently, confident in Tucker’s abilities to succeed at the Academy. Bryan Joyce, Tucker’s grandfather, seemed at ease, commenting on how his only concern was for his grandchildren and how they would fair missing their brother. “It’ll be tough,” he stated, “They are all three very close.”
Tucker’s brother Bailey, on the other hand, was more optimistic, focusing instead on how often Tucker will get to come home throughout the year. When asked how his parents felt about Tucker leaving, Bailey answered, “Well, right now they are pretty protective but I think that will change. It’s like they are sad to leave, but happy to let him go.”
It seemed like these conflicting feelings ran rampant throughout the parental community, striking victims such as Jay Porter, father of Jaymi Porter (Carter, ’12), “My feelings about Jaymi moving in are mixed; I’m a little sad but mostly excited. I know Jaymi can handle it.” However, when asked about moving in, Jaymi stated that she was only a little nervous, but mostly ready to start classes. She said, “I have been waiting all summer for this and now that I’m here, I’m just ready to jump right in and get started.”
Courageous and anxious for work, Jaymi’s confidence in herself was parallel to that of her parents. This also appeared to be the case for others such as Nikolaus Dilger, father of Daniel Dilger (Boone, ’12), who exhibited little worry for his son, “No, nope. Daniel has lived on campus twice and already has friends coming into the program. The atmosphere here is comfortable and with such unique people, he will undoubtedly feel at home.” For such a monumental step in the students’ and parents’ lives, the grace of the transition by all members was admirable.
As Academy Director Tim Gott mentioned early Sunday morning, “I am more excited about this year’s move-in than in years past. The program is getting better every year, and it started out pretty well to begin with. With the collective wisdom of our Residential Counselors and staff downstairs, I believe our years of experience will come together in a powerful way.”
With the apparent poise of the Junior class, supportive shoes provided by families, guidance from the Academy staff, and a cheering crowd of Seniors, there is no doubt that the recent additions to the Academy will provide a stunning performance.
August 18, 2010 | Academics, News, People, Student Success, Students | No Comments
Students at Western Kentucky University’s Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky outperformed their high school peers for the third consecutive year on the American College Test (ACT).
On Wednesday, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) announced the results for the recently graduated Class of 2010. Gatton Academy students outpaced their peers, receiving an average composite score of 31.0 out of 36 possible points on the exam — a score 11.6 points ahead of the statewide average.
As mandated by state law, all Kentucky public school juniors participate in the ACT, which assesses English, reading, mathematics and science and is scored on a scale of 1 to 36. Many college-bound senior take the test at least one more time during high school.
In the individual subjects, Gatton Academy graduates scored an average of 30.8 in English, 31.3 in mathematics, 31.1 in reading and 30.3 in science.
Academy administrators were pleased with the improvement in scores between since the class was admitted as sophomores in spring 2008. The average composite and math scores increased by 2.2 points.
The exceptional scores come as no surprise to Tim Gott, director of the Gatton Academy.
“It should come as no surprise that our students do well on the ACT since they were selected from among the top students in the state,” Gott said. “What pleases me most is the amount of growth from their sophomore year to their senior year. Going from an average composite of 28.8 to 31.0 is a substantial jump. This reveals the work ethic of the students and the rigor of our curriculum.”
Corey Alderdice, assistant director for admissions and public relations, added that Gatton Academy students showed strength not only in math but across the English and critical reasoning sections of the exam as well.
“Because the emphasis of the Gatton Academy is math and science, many individuals are surprised to learn our students are equally outstanding in the classroom in subjects across the academic spectrum,” Alderdice said. “Though our students intend to pursue advanced careers that require substantial study in math and science, we are pleased to know they are growing as problem-solvers and critical thinkers, skills that are crucial to a 21st century economy.”
Statewide, the 45,763 graduating seniors taking the exam received an average composite score of 19.4. In the individual subjects, students scored an average of 18.9 in English, 19.1 in mathematics, 19.7 in reading, and 19.5 in science.
Alderdice is also quick to share the success of Gatton Academy students on the test with their local sending districts. Students’ scores are included in the average of their local school on this and other required assessments, an important component in the shared relationship between the program and high schools from across the state.
“We hope to be viewed as an extension of every school and district in the state,” Alderdice said. “The scores are only possible with the combined preparation students received from their home institutions and continued study at the Gatton Academy. We are excited that districts are partnering with us to provide appropriate challenges while helping students grow academically and socially.”
For information, contact Corey Alderdice at (270) 745-2971.
August 12, 2010 | 5Q, News, People, Research, Students, Summer, WKU | No Comments
Michael Phillips (Marshall, ’11) is spending two months of his summer working full-time on a research project in the WKU Department of Chemistry under the direction of Dr. Matthew Nee.
Phillips has worked independently to code and test a computational kinetic model of reactions that occur when light hits snow and tracking the associated compounds. Through this project, Phillips has helped set up future experiments in Dr. Nee’s lab while gaining an enriched programming acumen, and learning lessons about chemical kinetics and modeling. Along with this project, Phillips has also been assisting a graduate student in building a temperature-controlled infrared sample cell.
Phillips is one of eleven students from the Gatton Academy’s class of 2011 who received a Research Internship Grant from the Academy for this summer. The Research Internship Grants are available to Gatton Academy students in the summer between their junior and senior years to support students during summer research experiences.
Recently, we caught up with Phillips in his Snell Hall lab to get a picture and see how his summer research was going:
1. Tell us a little about the project or program in which you are participating this summer that the Research Internship Grant is funding.
I’m collaborating with Dr. Nee on a project in which we are studying the chemical reactions that occur when light hits snow. Specifically, I am programming a kinetic model that shows the approximate concentration of each molecule at any given time. This program will be a very good gauge to use during lab work to determine if the kinetic model is accurate.
2. What is the part of the summer experience you are enjoying most?
The part that I am enjoying the most about this summer experience is getting to see some of the highly mathematical and computational portions of chemistry.
3. How is this different from the way you think most high school students spend their summers?
Most of my friends are staying home this summer. They are going to the drive-in, hanging out, and just having fun. Others are going to GSP and beginning to understand the college experience. I have already had a taste of the college experience and am now going on to experience what it is that professionals in academia do outside of the classroom.
4. Will you be using this research experience as a launching point for any particular applications, competitions, or scholarships?
I am currently discovering the possibilities that my summer research experience could lead to. Although, the skills that have been learned and applied will be necessary for any research project in the future.
5. How does this research experience or internship fit into your educational and professional goals?
I plan on furthering my education to being a professional theoretical physicist. Not being able to observe all of your work, it is frequently helpful to create computer models of what you want to observe and running simulations. The skills I have been applying in this project match perfectly with those required for such a task.
6. What are you looking forward to the most about your second year at the Academy?
I am looking forward to furthering my education in physics while taking University Physics II next semester. I also can’t wait for my friends to return to campus from their summer breaks.
August 10, 2010 | 5Q, News, People, Research, Students, Summer | No Comments
When Josh “Moose” Song (Warren, ’11) met Vanderbilt University’s Dr. Kane Jennings in the summer of 2007, he probably didn’t realize just how important the relationship would become.
From that first summer, when Song was a student in Dr. Jennings’ “Introduction to Nanotechnology” class at the Vanderbilt Summer Academy, Song has kept the lines of communication open with Dr. Jennings. This summer it is paying off.
Song has spent two months this summer performing Chemical Engineering research under Dr. Jennings’ guidance. Recently, Dr. Jennings wrote an update on Song’s summer research, gloating about his progress. “Josh is having a terrific experience in the laboratory. He is addressing a key hypothesis we have developed relating to water and ion transfer into superhydrophobic polymer films. I expect that in three more weeks, he will have enough results to make a conclusion regarding the hypothesis, which will help us immeasurably. The quality of his experimental work to date is outstanding,” he wrote.
Song is one of eleven students who were awarded the Gatton Academy’s Research Internship Grant this summer. The grant is available to Gatton Academy students in the summer between their junior and senior years to support students in research opportunities.
Song paused from his research recently to answer some questions:
1. Tell us a little about the project or program in which you are participating this summer that the Research Internship Grant is funding.
My research explores the use of super-hydrophobic films as protective coatings. In this application, we take advantage of how a simple spray of water (such as rain) entirely cleanses glass surfaces. More specifically, I am conducting research to explore the possibility of regaining the super-hydrophobic behavior after an event that causes its deterioration, such as the addition of ethanol into the water solution that is in contact with the film.
To characterize this behavior, I performed contact angles, surface tension, and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. Contact angles are the simplest way to observe surface properties of the films: the higher the contact angles, the more hydrophobic the film. Surface tension measurements helped us to visualize the difference between various solutions of certain ethanol percentages. Lower surface tensions will cause the super-hydrophobic behavior to break, while relatively high surface tensions will maintain the super-hydrophobic behavior. Lastly, EIS measurements give more detailed information about the surface than simple contact angle measurements. EIS can give much more insight into how the varying amounts of ethanol are interacting with the super- hydrophobic film.
Through my research, I was able to discover that super-hydrophobic behavior cannot be recovered even when only relatively small amounts of ethanol are added to the solution. Even 0.5% Ethanol seems unlikely that the film’s super-hydrophobic characteristics can be recovered. As I continue the research smaller percentages of ethanol will be explored and hopefully we will be able to see that some behavior can be recovered through the removal and diluting of ethanol from the solution at even lesser amounts of ethanol.
2. What is the part of the summer experience you are enjoying most?
Vanderbilt has a great program for talented youth called Vanderbilt Summer Academy and the university has done a great job of making me feel at home and allows me to interact with peers my age who have interests similar to mine. I have attended this program twice before, and it is a truly wonderful experience. The staff has also been very friendly and I am thankful that I am able to spend my summer doing something productive yet still enjoyable.
3. How is this different from the way you think most high school students spend their summers?
I think most high school students spend their summers doing things that, while entertaining, they cannot speak of with pride, saying that they helped make something happen. This summer, not only have I done research, I also helped Western Kentucky University’s Center for Gifted Studies organize the Summer Camp for Academy Talented Students and the Summer Program for Verbally and Mathematically Precocious Youth. I think that while it may have been a summer more taxing and challenging than most, I will be able to look back and say that I was able to do things that I could never have done during the school year, and therefore I think that I have had a more productive summer than most.
4. Will you be using this research experience as a launching point for any particular applications, competitions, or scholarships?
I am definitely looking to use this experience to apply for a few competitions which include the Intel Science Talent Search and the Siemens Competition. I believe that any research opportunity would be a fantastic addition to any college application, and my relationship with Dr. Kane Jennings from the Chemistry Department of Vanderbilt University, which goes back to three summers ago, will benefit me for many years to come whenever I need information about undergraduate, graduate, or postgraduate schools or various competitions or scholarships.
5. How does this research experience or internship fit into your educational and professional goals?
Chemical Engineering is one of the largest and, still, fastest growing areas in the STEM field, and I have also become interested in it. I think this is a great opportunity for me to realize what Chemical Engineering is not only in class but in the lab during the graduate school years.
6. What are you looking forward to the most about your second year at the Academy?
I am thrilled to meet my friends again and it feels as if I’m almost looking forward to going back home. The Academy has a great community and everyone in the building is friendly and helpful. I am also excited to help the juniors become accustomed to life and share my knowledge and wisdom with them.
August 2, 2010 | 5Q, News, People, Research, Students, Summer, WKU | No Comments
Sarah Schrader (Warren, ’11) is one of eleven recipients of the Gatton Academy’s Research Internship Grant for this summer.
Schrader has already characterized a unique phage through the course of the HHMI’s Genome Discovery and Exploration Program during the 2009-10 academic year. However, her phage has never had its DNA sequenced until this summer.
The research that Schrader is undertaking this summer is being managed around an eight-week intensive language study abroad trip with the WKU Chinese Flagship. Before departing for Chongqing, China, Sarah spent the first three weeks of summer re-isolating her phage’s DNA and preparing her samples to be sent off for DNA sequencing to a national laboratory.
When Sarah returns later this month, the DNA sequencing should be complete. With these results, Sarah will resume her research. If all goes to plan, by the summer’s end Sarah will have annotated a unique DNA sequence, which she will submit to the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s DNA sequence database, being listed as the first author of the submission.
In the midst of all of this activity, Sarah managed to answer some questions about her summer research.
1. Tell us a little about the project or program in which you are participating this summer that the Research Internship Grant is funding.
Last year I participated in the Genome Discovery and Exploration Course, which is a national initiative designed to engage college freshmen in authentic research. Another sub-goal of the program is to enhance the growing database of bacteriophage genomes available for researchers. Bacteriophage are viruses that infect bacteria, and, as deadly antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria become more and more common, researching them and their bacteria-destroying capabilities is quickly becoming more and more crucial. During the fall semester of the course, I isolated a novel bacteriophage from the environment. Over winter term, two phage discovered in our class were sent off to sequencing centers to have their genomes sequenced. The spring semester was spent using computer programs to annotate the genome, deciding where each gene started and ended and assigning putative functions to them. Since my phage was not one of those chosen to be sequenced, I decided to work independently this summer to complete its characterization at the genomic level.
2. What is the part of the summer experience you are enjoying most?
So far I have enjoyed the independence this experience has provided me the most. During my research last year, I was still trying to learn techniques and procedures and frequently had to rely on my instructors to guide me. Now, however, I already know how to use equipment I need and how to carry out important procedures and thus don’t have to rely on my supervisor as much, although he is, of course, ready and willing to help should I need anything.
3. How is this different from the way you think most high school students spend their summers?
As soon as summer starts, many high school students flop down on the couch in front of the TV and don’t get up again until the next school year arrives. Even those that have jobs usually work as cashiers, babysitters, or store clerks, and while that is good work experience and a fair source of spending money, ringing up happy meals or chasing little kids around probably doesn’t stimulate their intellects a substantial amount. Some students do choose to go to a variety of different summer camps and programs, some of which do involve science-related subjects. These, however, are usually very structured and strictly supervised. I, on the other hand, have no idea what the results of my research will be and have control over my own schedule as I introduce the scientific world to a completely new if infinitesimal piece of knowledge.
4. Will you be using this research experience as a launching point for any particular applications, competitions, or scholarships?
I plan to use this experience as the basis for my entry to the Siemens Competition and Intel Science Talent Search in the fall and to supplement my application for the Goldwater Scholarship in the spring of next year. Considering the person who won the Intel Science Talent Search this year developed a cancer treatment that utilizes a light energy stimulated drug to kill off cancer cells and the winner of the Siemens Competition researched chemotherapy drug resistance, I’m not expecting much – as far as I know, bacteriophage can’t kill cancer. But they do have the potential to wipe out new menaces like drug resistant tuberculosis and multiple drug resistant staph, so I guess it’s worth a try.
5. How does this research experience or internship fit into your educational and professional goals?
Although I’m not really sure what I want to do, I have been considering a career as a research geneticist. This project ties into that goal quite nicely as it involves the sequencing and annotation of a genome. I am sure that I want to major in biology, and, of course, this project also fits well with this goal.
6. What are you looking forward to the most about your second year at the Academy?
My first year at the Academy was amazing. The classes and professors were outstanding, as were my peers and counselors at Gatton. I was provided so many opportunities to grow as a scholar and a person, and I am truly grateful for them and everyone who worked so hard to give them to me. Right now I am most looking forward to my classes, but also to continuing my research and once again being immersed in the unique environment of Schneider Hall. Next year I know there will be even greater opportunities open to me, and I plan to seize as many of them as I can!
July 29, 2010 | 5Q, News, People, Research, Students, Summer, WKU | No Comments
Rising senior Justine Missik (Boyle, ‘11) is having quite a summer! Justine is one of eleven recipients of the Gatton Academy’s Research Internship Grant, which is available to Gatton Academy students in the summer between their junior and senior years to support students during research experiences.
Missik split her award on two separate experiences. In the early summer, she traveled to Portland, Oregon to attend the Santa Fe Institute’s course on Exploring Complexity in Science and Technology from May 19 -21. This course directly benefits the research work that Justine is performing in theoretical systems ecology and network analysis while at the Gatton Academy with Dr. Albert Meier of WKU’s Department of Biology. Later this summer, she’ll be presenting this research at the Ecological Society of America’s (ESA) Annual Meeting in Pittsburg, PA.
Before that meeting, Missik is spending the rest of her summer working with Dr. Stuart Campbell with the Department of Energy’s Spallation Neutron Source at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)–the world’s most powerful pulsed spallation neutron source. Missik is benefiting from access to world-renowned facilities and experts as she interns at ORNL. She is the first Gatton Academy student to perform research directly with the ORNL.
Justine recently took a break from her research work with the ORNL to answer some questions on her research experience.
1. Tell us a little about the project or program in which you are participating this summer that the Research Internship Grant is funding.
This summer I am working at the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. I am working on developing a user interface for numerical analysis code on protein dynamics. I will then use this to analyze some data.
2. What is the part of the summer experience you are enjoying most?
I have really enjoyed being at Oak Ridge and meeting people who work there. It has been a great opportunity to be able to work at world-class laboratory! I have also really enjoyed working on a project that I know will be useful to the scientists there.
3. How is this different from the way you think most high school students spend their summers?
Most high school students don’t usually have the kind of opportunities for summer research that the Academy provides, so they aren’t usually involved in research projects. The Academy has provided me with the unique opportunity to work at Oak Ridge, which I would not have been able to do otherwise.
4. Will you be using this research experience as a launching point for any particular applications, competitions, or scholarships?
I’m not currently planning on using this project to enter any competitions, but I am sure the skills and experience I will gain will greatly benefit me.
5. How does this research experience or internship fit into your educational and professional goals?
Though I’m not quite sure yet about what particular field I will want to work in, I know that I want to go into science. I also know that I enjoy working with computers, and this is useful in a variety of different fields. I also plan on continuing to do research. The experience I will gain this summer will help me with all of these things.
6. What are you looking forward to the most about your second year at the Academy?
In my second year at the academy, I am looking forward to being able to take more higher-level classes, such as Computer Science II and Discrete Math. I am also looking forward to continuing my research project from last year.
July 27, 2010 | Academics, News, People, Student Life, Students, WKU | No Comments
by Suzanne Van Arsdall, Academy Avatar
Contrary to what can sometimes be prevailing misconceptions, the Gatton Academy student body is not solely a group of human calculators and chemistry whizzes.
In fact, when they aren’t busy calculating integrals and writing methods in Mathematica, you can find many members of the Academy’s Class of 2011 stretching a different part of their minds: the right hemisphere of their brain. Individuals who are considered “right-brained” tend to have greater strengths and passions for arts and humanities, subject matter that is mistakenly perceived by some to be uncharted waters for Academy students.
Wait, what’s that? A chemistry whiz can play the cello? An expert computer programmer spends their free time writing poetry? It’s can be a hard concept to accept, but–believe it or not–many Academy students are more than just one-trick ponies.
Take Blake Welsh (Daviess ’11), for example. Blake has been playing the violin since he was six years old. Welsh’s interests were first piqued when his class took a field trip to a culture festival in Whitesville and he laid eyes upon the fiddle. Eleven years later, Welsh is still heavily involved in music, despite his busy schedule at the Academy. In fact, Blake is a member of the WKU orchestra and string quartet and manages to squeeze private lessons into his schedule.
“Being here makes it harder to find time to practice, but being in a college music atmosphere is better for me as a musician,” Welsh admits. “As long as you have passion, it isn’t very hard to manage.”
When David McChesney (Boyle ’11) is not busy studying for chemistry exams, most anyone will tell you that he’s likely in a practice room at FAC, bending the strings on his cello. This is David’s seventh year playing the cello, and his accomplishments with this instrument are quite remarkable.
This summer will be David’s third consecutive year attending the Steven Collins Foster music camp at Eastern Kentucky University. In Danville, his hometown, David has been a member of the Heritage Area Strings Program for six years. To top off all his accomplishments, he plans on bringing his talents to WKU by auditioning with Welsh for the WKU Orchestra this fall.
Madeline Lauzon (Daviess ’11) is another multifaceted member of the Academy student body. who displays strong artistic abilities outside the scope of her talents in math and science. Mad, as her peers call her, is truly a unique and artistic asset to the Gatton community and has been involved in theater productions for years.
Lauzon is the first student at Gatton to be cast in multiple theater programs at WKU. She has been cast for both a stage reading and as a member of the ensemble of the play Beauty and the Beast, which will be performed during the Fall 2010 semester.
“It’s really great to be able to come here and not have to just focus on math or the arts but to be able to have both of these in my life,” Lauzon noted. “The Academy gives you ample opportunity to be as well-rounded as possible.”
Allowing students to pursue their passions in all subject areas is a central component of the Academy’s approach to student learning.
“I suppose my situation really does hold true to the saying that Gatton provides you with infinite possibilities,” she added.